quigley



Apr. 3,1923. 1,450,752

J. T. QUIGLEY v FILING EQUIPMENT Fi] ed Oct 29, 1919 2 sheetssheet 1 Inveni ov:

3 7, flags.

Apr. 3, 1923. 1,450,752

J. T. QUIGLEY F ILING EQUIPMENT FigLed Oct- 29, 1919 2 sheets-sheet 2 Iii/22671270? JOM 1'. Quayley,

W W efliizllls Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATNT OFFICE.

JOHN T. QUIGLEY, OF BOSTON, MEASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO COSTMETER COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS..

FILING EQUIPMENT.

Application filed October 29, 1919.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ll, JOHN "E. QUIGLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Sufi'olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an lrnprovement in Filing Equipment, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to filing equipments, and is more particularly concerned with a file of the class in which the sheets are arranged in overlapping relationship. The

invention aims to provide improved means for supporting and positioning the sheets.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one illustrative embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a filing equipment exemplifying my invention,

showing the sheets depending;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a sheet and its sheet support, the sheet being unfolded and the sheet-holder extending along the line of the fold; I

Fig. 4 is a detail view, partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating the means for preventing the spacers from becoming detached from the sheet-supporting rods; and

Fig. 5 is an elevation, viewed from the ri 'ht-hand side of Fig. 4.

eferring to the drawings, and to the embodiment of my invention which is illustrated therein, I. have selected for exemplification a filing and indexing equipment comprising a series of overlapping sheets 6, herein folded. The overlapping margins of the sheets may be provided with suitable identifications, serving as an index for the file, as exemplified in Fig. 1.

The sheets-are herein carried by sheetsupporting and positioning means comprising a series of rods 7 received in the folds of the sheets, and one or more, herein a pair of sheet-positioning elements, preferably short cylindrical members 8, mounted on each rod Serial No. 334,151.

and received in perforations 9 adjacent and preferably bisected by the line of the fold of the sheet, as best shown in Fig. 3. These members constitute spacers which contact wlth one another tangentially, and the diameter of each is such as to provide the desired amount of overlap or exposure of the sheets. Preferably, the perforations are very slightly larger than the spacers, to enable the latter to be inserted and withdrawn readily, while still preventing undue displacement of the sheet in any direction.

Preferably, the spacers are permanently attached to their respective rods, and preferably also the spacers are mounted to slide lengthwise on their respective rods. Detachment of the spacers from the rods may be prevented by the provision of suitable stops, herein abutments 10 formed by making alateral out into the side of the rod by means of a chisel, or like implement, which will raise a burr, as clearly shown in Fig. at. This can be done very easily during manufacture, and serves as an effective means to keep the spacers assembled with their respective rods, while still allowing freedom of movement of the spacers lengthwise of their rods. Naturally, the length wise positioning of the spacers on the rods is determined by the spacing of the perforations in the sheets, and this spacing can be determined to suit the circumstances.

It should here be noted that, while the rod is within the fold of the sheet, and while the spacing devices are inserted from the fold through the perforations in the sheet, yet the spacers are normally outside the fold. It should also be observed that the sheet and sheet-support are not actually attached one to the other, but that they are held assembled merely by reason of their association with the mounting now to be described. For this reason, the sheet can be removed from its support with great facility. This is .a valui able feature when it is considered that typewriting machines are largely used in making records on sheets of files of this sort.

The ends of the rods 7 are mounted in guides 11, presenting opposed channels 12, in which the ends of the rods are received, as best shown in Fig. 2. The rods are free to slide lengthwise of these channels, there by to permit the cylindrical sheet-position ing elements or spacers 8 to move freely lengthwise of the channels, and to rest against one another. Herein, the rods 7 are resilient, and preferably, they are made of tempered steel wires, whereby they may be bowed to reduce their lengths sufliciently to allow their ends to be withdrawn from the channels 12. By this means, any sheet and its holder may be'removed from its place without disturbing any other, and may be re-introduced into the same place, or at any other point, by simply opening the sheets and sheet-suppoi ts at the proper point, Thus the tile is adjustable, and can be classified and re-arranged from time to time at will.

Movement of the sheets lengthwise of the rods is herein limited by the provision of a pair of shoulders 13, between which the cylindrical spacers 8 are received, as best shown in Fig. 2. Since these shoulders retain the spacers against lengthwise movement, and since the spacers are iuterengaged with the sheets, the latter are held against undue displacement lengthwise of the rods. In the present example, the channels 12 and shoulders 13 are formed by a panel 1a, conveniently of sheet metal bent into the de sired shape to present the channels and shoulders. The panel is herein provided with suitable stops 15 and 16 to limit movement of the sheet and sheet-holding means lengthwise of the channels.

Thus it is evident that the described sheetpositioning means accurately positions the sheet in both directions, while still permitting the sheets to be swung about arallel axes. The rods themselves constitute iinges about Whose axes the sheets may be swung to and fro with reference to the sheet spacers. On the other hand, the latter constitute hinges about whose axes the sheets and rods may be turned, without reference to the turning movement of the sheets about the axes of the rods.

In practice it is found that the described construction presents many advantages, among them being first the accuracy with which the sheets are held both longitudinally and transversely of the rods; second, the flat opening of the sheets; third, the lack of any tendency of the rods to sag, even in the case of flexible rods of great length; and fourth, the fact that it is impossible for a given sheet and its rod to be removed, except intentionally, because it is practically impossible to bend the wire to reduce its length except when the sheet is presented substantially flatwise.that is to say, in the positions shown in Fig. 1. If, on the contrary, the sheet be swung to a position substantially at right angles to the plane of the panel 14;, it is found that a strong outward pull on the sheet fails to bend the wire sufiiciently to allow its ends to become detached from the channels. This is a decided advantage, because it enables the sheets to be handled roughly when in use, yet without danger of their becoming accidentally detached from the panel.

Having thus described one embodiment of my invention, but without limiting myself thereto, what I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. ii file comprising, in combination, a pair of guides, a series of sheet-supports having their ends received by said guides, a series of overlapping sheets supported by said sheet-supports, respectively, and means secured to said sheet-supports intermediate and independent of said guides to position said sheets.

2.-A file comprising, in combination, a pair of guides, a series of sheet-supports having their encs received by said guides, a series of overlapping sheets supported by said sheet-supports, respectively, and means secured to said sheet-supports intermediate and independent of said guides to position said sheets longitudinally of said guides.

A file comprising, in combination, a pair of guides, a series of sheet-supports having their ends received by said guides,

a series of overlapping sheets supported said sheet-supports, respectively, a pair of abutments, and means secured to said sheetsupports intermediate and independent of said guides to cooperate with said abutments to position said sheets transversely of said guides.

4:. A file comprising, in combination, a

pair of guides, a series of sheet-supports having their ends received by said guides,

a series of overlapping sheets supported by said sheet-supports, respectiyely, a pairof abutments, and means secured to said sheet supports intermediate and independent of said guides to cooperate with said sheetsupports and said abutments to position said sheets both longitudinally and transversely of said guides.

5. A file comprising, in combination, a

pair of guides, a series of sheet-supports having their ends received by said guides,

a series of overlapping sheets supported by said sheet-supports, respectively, and means loosely mounted on but held against detachment from said sheet-supports intermediate and independent of said guides to position said sheets.

6. Ar file comprising, in combination, a pair of guides, a series of sheet-supporting rods having their ends received by said guides, a series of folded, overlapping sheets supported by and having said sheetsssup porting rods received within their respective folds, and sheet-positioning means comprising a series of cylindrical members concentric with the axes of said rods, respectivelyl A file comprising, in combination, a pair of guides, a series of sheet-supporting rods having their ends received in said guides, a series of perforated, folded, overlapping sheets supported by and having said sheet-supporting rods received within their respective folds, and sheet-positioning means comprising a series of cylindrical members insertible through the perforations of said sheets from the folds thereof and being normally disposed without said folds, said members engaging one another and maintaining the proper exposure of the overlapping margins of said sheets.

8. A file comprising, in combination, a pair of guides, a series of sheet-supporting rods having their ends received in said guides, a series of perforated, folded, overlapping sheets supported by and having said sheet-supporting rods received with their respective folds, and sheet-positioning means comprising a series of cylindrical members concentric with the axes of said rods, respectively, and insertible through the perforations of said sheets: from the folds thereof and being normally disposed without said folds, said members engaging one another and maintaining the proper exposure of the overlapping margins of said sheets.

9. A file comprising, in combination, a pair of guides, a series of sheet-supports having their ends received by said guides, a series of folded, overlapping sheets supported by and having said sheet-supports received within their respective folds, and means disposed without said folds and carried by said sheet-supports intermediate and independent of said guides, to position said sheets.

10. A file comprising, in combination, a pair of guides, a series of sheet-supports having their ends received by said guides, a series of perforated, folded, overlapping sheets supported by and having said sheetsupports received within their respective folds, and means to position said sheets longitudinally of said guides, said means being insertible through the perforations of said sheets from within the folds thereof, and being normally disposed without said folds and intermediate and independent of said guides.

11. A file comprising, in combination, a pair of guides, a series of sheet-supports having their ends received by said guides, a

series of perforated, folded, overlapping sheets supported by and having said sheetsupports received Within their respective folds, a pair of abutments, and means cooperating with said abutments and said sheet supports to position said sheets both transversely and longitudinally of said guides, said means being insertible through the perforations of said sheets from within the folds thereof, and being normally disposed with out said folds and intermediate and independent of said guides.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification,

JOHN T. QUTGLEY. 

